AQ Validation Studies

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“The AQ ... programs and principles are among the most important, engaging, and transformational tools in existence for upgrading ... your talent. I have never seen so many people benefit so profoundly, completely, and quickly.” —Scott Schreiber, VP Customer Experience, Marriott Vacation Club International

AQ Coaching

Want to learn more about AQ?

Dr. Stoltz has written three bestselling books about AQ. Learn more...

About Dr. Paul G. Stoltz

Dr. Stoltz is the originator of AQ and Director of the Global Resilience Institute. Learn more...

Become more resilient now. AQ is the most widely used gauge in the world for assessing your current resilience and learning how to deal with everything from minor hassles to major setbacks more effectively.

A personal note from Dr. Paul G. Stoltz...

You can at least begin to personally benefit from AQ® immediately, even if you are unable to attend an official AQ program, engage in AQ coaching, or make use of our many AQ tools. It’s simple.

Introductory AQ basics

Adversity Quotient® (AQ) is about how you respond to life, especially the tough stuff. It is a gauge or measure of how you respond and deal with everything, from everyday hassles to the big adversities that life can spring on you. It is also an established science, theory, and approach for becoming measurably more resilient. The more resilient you are, the more effectively and constructively you respond to life’s difficulties, and the more fulfilling life becomes.

Even without your AQ score, you can begin to improve. Here’s the rule of thumb: The stronger your AQ, the more effectively you will respond to adversity, and the less life’s events will take a toll on your energy, performance, health, and outlook. The weaker your AQ, the more difficult it can be for you to maintain the energy, optimism, and fortitude required to optimize your talents and your life.

The extent to which someone perceives they can influence whatever happens next

Resilience, health, and tenacity

Ownership

The likelihood that someone will actually do anything to improve the situation, regardless of their formal responsibilities

Accountability, responsibility, action, and engagement

Reach

The extent to which someone perceives an adversity will “reach into” and affect other aspects of the situation or beyond

Burden, stress, energy, and effort; it tends to have cumulative effect

Endurance

The length of time the individual perceives the situation / adversity will last, or endure

Hope, optimism, and willingness to persevere

CORE Radar

My suggestion to you is to do two things:

Whenever you read an article, watch the news, a movie or play, or engage in a conversation; turn on your CORE Radar. Listen and watch for each of the CORE dimensions of AQ, and how that person's response dramatically shapes the plot and what follows. The more you apply it, the more tuned it, aware and accurate you will become.

Focus on your CORE response to any adversity, doing your best to deliberately improve your CORE response to each adversity.

These two fundamental actions will give you a small, introductory taste of what AQ can do for you.